Container for small paper napkins



Feb.4, 1969' N. SHAPIRA 3,425,595

CONTAINER FOR SMALL PAPER NAPKINS FiledSept. 11, 1967 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR Gomv: Kumums ATTORNEYS Feb.4, 1969 N. SHAPIRA 3,425,595

CONTAINER FOR SMALL PAPER NAPKINS Filed Sept. 11. 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 mvsmroa G-oLov: KLImnu ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,425,595 CONTAINER FOR SMALL PAPER NAPKINS Nathan Shapira, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Cartiera di Cairate S.p.A., Milan, Italy Filed Sept. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 666,635 U.S. Cl. 221-52 Int. Cl. A47k 10/20; B6511 1/04 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a container for small paper napkins or the like, particularly suitable for bars and restaurants.

The main object of this invention is to provide a container for small paper napkins, from which container the small napkins may be drawn one by one in a very simple manner, being urged by resilient means against an aperture through which the small napkins may be grasped, wherein the above resilient means are restrainable so as to enable a ready filling of a pile or stack of small napkins into the empty container, and wherein the resilient means are also releasable, after having filled the container with the pile or stack of small napkins, by simple pressure exerted on said means such as to cause a slight lateral displacement thereof.

A further object is to provide a container which is inexpensive and of a simple manufacture and utilization, and which may be also used both with zigzag folded napkins wherein an edge of each of them is intercalated with an edge of the adjoining small napkins, and with small napkins merely bearing one on the other.

In order that the structure for a container according to the invention and the advantages which may result from its utilization be more clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by mere way of example and not of limitation, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective and top view of the front portion of a container for small paper napkins;

FIG. 2 is a perspective and top view of the rear portion of the container in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a side wall of the container at open position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the container according to line IV- IV of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the container as shown at ready position for filling with a pile or stack of small napkins.

As it will be seen from the drawings, the container comprises an outer housing formed of a bottom wall 1, a top wall 2 formed with an aperture 3, a front side wall 4, a rear side wall 5, and two side walls 6. Walls 1, 2, 4 and 6 make up together a single structure, whereas wall 5 is separated therefrom and is attached thereto through a hinge having its axis parallel to wall 1, the hinge being provided adjacent said wall 1 and being formed of two small pins laterally projecting outward from two ears 7 secured to wall 5 and housed within two holes in walls 6. Wall 5 also has two projections 8 accommodating, when the container is closed, two enveloping notches 9 in said walls 6 such as to hold wall 5 firmly anchored to the other walls of the container.

It can also be noticed from the drawings that a hole 10 is formed in wall 5, the dimensions of this hole being such as to afford the passage for at least one finger, the hole having the purpose of facilitating the opening of the container, that is the lowering of wall 5 from the position shown at FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 to the position shown at FIGS. 3 and 5. It can also be noticed from the drawings that walls 4, 5 and 6 of the container define an internal cavity of a constant cross-section, all of such walls being perpendicular to wall 1.

Two teeth 11 and a rib 12 project to the interior of housing from each side wall 6, said rib 12 extending substantially parallel to wall .1.

Between wall 1 and ribs 12 a lead plate 13 is fitted, thereto being attached an end of a conical coil spring 14, the other end of which is wound on an extension 15 projecting from the lower surface of a member 16 fitted with in the housing and movable therein between the walls 4, 5 and 6, the spring being such as to urge member 16 to wall 2. Member 16 has a fiat surface and at its periphery has an edge 17 toward bottom wall 1. At its section adjacent walls 6, edge 17 is formed with four slots extending from the lower edge surface in a first direction 18 substantially at right angles to wall 1, and in a second direction 19 laterally away from wall 5, the transverse sizes of the slots being at least equal to those of teeth 11, such slots being so spaced apart from one another that teeth 11 may be caused to enter thereinto, as hereinafter disclosed.

Assume that a pile or stack of small paper napkins 20 is arranged above member 16 (as particularly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). Under such conditions the pile or stack of small paper napkins is pressed upward by spring 14 operating on member 16, and said small napkins can be grasped and drawn one by one through aperture 3 in wall 2. It can be seen that the small napkins can be zigzag folded and arranged with an edge of a small napkin intercalated with the edge of another small napkin, or such small napkins may simply bear one on the other. All of the small napkins can be readily drawn through aperture 3, since as a small napkin is removed from the container, member 16 more and more approaches aper ture 3. When all the small napkins have been removed from the container and it is desired to refill the same with a fresh pile or stack of small napkins, wall 5 is disengaged and brought from the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. By exerting a pressure on member 16 and operating against the action of spring 14, member 16 is urged to bottom wall 1, causing teeth 11 to penetrate into the vertical sections 18 of the slots in edges 17 of member 16. While holding member 16 downwardly, a pull is then exerted thereon tending to move it away from wall 4, so as to cause teeth 11 to penetrate into sections 19 of the slots in. edge 17. On releasing member 16, the latter will remain held by teeth 11, that is, blocked at the position shown in FIG. 5. Under this condition, the filling of a pile or stack of small napkins into the container may be accomplished in a very simple manner by laying said pile or stack of small napkins above the fiat surface of member 16. Then, by rotating wall 5 so as to bring it to its closed position, that is from the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to the position shown in the other figures, said wall 5 will exert a thrust on member 16 tending to move it to wall 4, thus causing teeth 11 to slide within sections 19 of the slots in edge 17. When member 16 has been pushed from wall 5 to wall 4 by such a distance that sections 18 of the afore-mentioned slots are below teeth 11, spring 14 will operate on mem- 3 ber 16 causing it to approach wall 2 and, finally, will urge the small paper napkins against said wall 2, so that said small napkins can be readily grasped through aperture 3. As previously outlined, wall 5 will be firmly retained at the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, as projections 8 in wall 5 will be held within notches 9 and walls 6.

Lead plate 13 functions to weigh down the small napkin container which will therefore be stable on any bearing face. Insertion of plate 13 between wall 1 and ribs 12 is accomplished prior to bonding wall 5 to walls 6 of the container, that is prior to causing the pins projecting from ears 7 of wall 5 to penetrate into the proper holes in walls 6.

The container is rather inexpensive since, apart from plate 13 and spring 14, the other elements making up the container are made of three moulded plastic material pieces, also bearing in mind that use of lead in the plate, although preferred, is not essential.

What I claim is:

1. A container for small paper napkins and the like, comprising an outer housing formed of a bottom wall, a top wall having an aperture therein, and side walls defining an inner cavity of a substantially constant crosssection, a member accommodated within said housing and movable therein between said walls, and at least one spring operating said bottom wall and member to urge the latter to said top wall, at least one of the side walls being separated from the other walls and comprising fastening means thereto, there being provided at least one tooth projecting inwardly of the housing from two of said side walls adjacent said bottom wall, and on said member there being formed at least two slots, the transverse dimensions of each of which being at least the same as those of said tooth, and extending from the lower surface of said member on the sides thereof in a first length substantially at right angles to said bottom wall and in a second length laterally away from said side wall which is separated from the other walls.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said side wall separated from the other walls is attached thereto through a hinge, the axis of which is parallel to said bottom wall.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein said hinge is provided adjacent said bottom wall.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein a hole is provided in said side wall separated from the other walls, the dimensions for said hole being such that at least one finger may pass therethrough.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein said member is an integral member, having a fiat surface facing said top wall and having at its periphery an edge upturned to said bottom wall, said slots being provided in said upturned edge.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein at least one extension projects from the lower surface of said member, an end of said spring being wound on said extension.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein from the inner surface of at least two of said side walls a number of ribs project between said teeth and said bottom wall, which ribs are substantially parallel to said bottom wall, and wherein a metal plate is accommodated between said ribs and bottom wall, to which an end of said spring is attached, the other end of said spring abutting said member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,632 5/1909 Oliver 221-57 1,086,384 2/1914 McKinnon 221-227 X'R 2,253,742 8/1941 West et al 221-61 2,426,136 8/1947 Agamaite 221-57 2,426,787 9/1947 ONeil 221-62 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

